[time-nuts] Calibration procedures - what is normal?

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

On 2/12/2016 12:14 PM, Joseph Gray wrote:
> I sent my HP 3457A in for cal. I should be getting it back next week.
> I won't mention where I sent it, but it wasn't Keysight (I don't like
> that name). I recently changed the SRAM battery and purposely did not

I left Agilent just before the split, but I don't know
anyone there who liked that name.  Or the logo :-)

You need to understand that the mission of service depots at
Agilent was mainly to be profit centers.  They were not there
to make customers happy in order to enhance Agilent sales.
At best, they needed to do warranty repairs to support equipment
under warranty, but even the whole warranty thing was a way
to make extra money, not to sell instruments in the first
place.  What you describe is perfectly consistent with my
experience using them as an internal customer.  BTW, they
charge internal customers the same high prices they charge
for external customers.  There is an attitude that it is not
worth making reliable products because they can make so
much money fixing them.  Consider yourself lucky you got
the extra effort.  They remind me of car dealer service
departments, in terms of the business model.  Specifically,
the "tune up" racket or the XXX,000 mile "service" racket.

Rick
N6RK


> Not knowing what is normally done in the cal lab, I assumed that the
> entire procedure as listed in the service manual would be done. It
> seems that I was wrong.
>
> In the end, the lab decided not to charge me for the extra time
> involved. I thanked them for that.
>
> My question is, do any cal labs (including Keysight) normally perform
> the zero and full scale procedures as listed in the service manual?
>
> Joe Gray
> W5JG